Mercenary Heart
by fairyoracle
Summary: How does a heart turn cold?  See how one elvaan woman's past sent her on the path of revenge at all costs.
1. Chapter 1

**_Note to Ffnet Readers:_**_ Hello there. I've been looking for a spot to post my stories so I don't have to multipost and decided to post here so I wanted to explain a little something about how this and my other stories have come into being._

_I'm a role-player (Rper) and have been in several linkshells and still am on the Asura server for about 3 years. What is RP? Its where you immerse yourself in the game lore, create an original character and interact with other people's characters as your character. Basically is acting and story writing in a community. _

_The truly awesome thing about Rping is all the creative people you meet along the way. You end up collaborating and sometimes their characters and stories end up intermingling with yours and as a result thing you never in visioned for that character happen, their story takes a new direction and grows._

_That being said many of the characters in my stories are not of my creation and things I am recounting are RP sessions which I will note and give credit where its due. Enjoy and if you ae on Asura and want to give RP a try look me up in Asura. I recruit for an RP Ls there and here is the webpage: http://gauntlet. to my fellow Rpers and LS Members:_

_This is Tsumi's background story and its finally done! I know… it took me way to long due to rl but finally its done. Tsumi's life has moved way past this point but I do plan to catch up in writing to the point she is in rp. She is so private unless you/ve rped with her a lot you have no idea how much has happened to her or how she ended as she is now. Part 3 is the totally new Part. I've tried very hard to make things understandable with all the flashbacks. I hope you enjoy._

**Notes: **

**This story takes place in the FFXI Game world of Vanadiel created by Square Enix and I in no way am claiming to own rights to or have been in on the creative process or deelopement of this game or the NPC character Justi whom I barrow for this story.**

**Mercenary Heart**

**_Part 1_**

The Elvaan woman smirked quietly to herself as she sipped from her mug and leaned on the counter. The broken and drunk hume man next to her was one of those bleeding hearts that spouted off inane curses provided liquor bolstered his courage. Under normal circumstances he was undoubtedly a coward unable to do or say anything about his circumstances to the very people he denounced in the restaurant.

"Well," the man asked her finally "what do you think I should do?"

Setting down her tankard the woman surveyed him a moment coolly. "If I were you I'd kill the man responsible" she said smirking at him "but you're not me so you should just go sleep off your drink and sulk about it."

The man eyed her in disbelief. "But I'm not an adventurer….and I could never…."

"Then that's your problem. Remain weak and snivel all you like but spare me your further whining."

The man opened his mouth to retort but a swift hand darted out and grasped his shoulder.

"It's not worth it friend" the Steaming Sheep proprietor told him. "She's merciless and you don't want to cross Tsumi." Draping an arm over the drunken man's shoulder she turned and led him away.

Now thankfully she was alone again. Tsumi took a finger and tucked the crimson braid behind her ear thoughtfully. It was ironic to that because she sat back alone from others she often became the target of emotional displays and avoiding such histrionics was the very reason she was alone in the first place. The only stories she welcomed were those of perspective clients that had come seeking her services gil in hand. She could see the drunk now, out of the corner of her eye, with the restaurant owner and the table of drunken men so obviously now discussing her and her reputation. She'd been in Bastok long enough to be well known in the circles of her peers and those who dealt with their problems outside of the law. The restaurant owner, knowing her reputation wished to remain on her good side and took care to let everyone know her preference for solitude.

Soon she observed an elvaan man rise from the table behind the knot of drunks and begin to head in her direction as nonchalantly as possible. This man was most likely a prospective client, no-doubt having heard the others talking, and had decided to engage her services. She could spot them a mile away. Nervous and almost apologetic such people were not accustomed to hiring mercenaries. Even criminals despised those of her profession since their loyalty could be bought or sold for a price. Downing the last of her ale Tsumi waited confidently leaning on the counter.

"Excuse me my lady" the man said with a flourishing bow "I wonder if I can engage your services."

Tsumi smiled slightly, an action she had learned to put those she was dealing with at ease, and regarded the man critically. "If the price is right," she simply said.

"You'll have to forgive me I've never engaged the services of a mercenary before" he said setting his drink down and examining her landing on the two swords belted at her hips. "What are you exactly?"

"I'm a Red Mage also trained in the arts of Ninjitsu" Tsumi replied. "I'm more than capable of accomplishing the task you require I assure you."

"I'm sure that you are, if the stories I'm hearing are true" the man stated.

"They most likely are" Tsumi answered with a cocky smirk.

"So you really have organized raids on the Quadav that dwell in Palborough Mines?" he asked.

"Yes, I have a particular hatred for the Shell-backs and do whatever I can to make their lives miserable" she stated a hardness entering her blue eyes.

"Well then," the man said guardedly "you may be just the person for this job."

"What does it involve?"

"Some quadav attacked my caravan" he said pushing back his cape to reveal a still healing gash on his forearm "and they took some cargo of great value. My employer wants to retrieve it but it's not something we can do alone."

"If the price is right I'll gladly assist you," Tsumi replied with a nod.

"How does 50,000 sound?" he asked.

"I require half-up-front and the remainder upon completion of the job, plus one item of my choosing from the possessions of the slain Quadav. You can have everything else you desire. I'll meet you at dawn just outside the gate" she instructed pulling away from the counter and saluting the now bewildered man. "I'll see you tomorrow. Farewell."

"But I didn't even give you my name…." he trailed off.

"I don't need it" she replied turning on her heel leaving no doubt the interview had concluded.

She stepped into the cool of the evening allowing her mind to wander. Soon she would have another chance to face the Quadav with the dark crystal pendant… the pendent that was hers by right. She would exact revenge from that Quadav and every other member of its race would suffer as well. It was the shell-backs that were responsible for every indignity she had been forced to suffer and for that reason she sought revenge whenever she could. She remembered that day her world came crashing down as vividly as if it were yesterday...

_Tyra burst into the house with her friend Miranda laughing only to stand stock-still at the sight before her. A San d' Orian knight sat at the table and Miranda's mother was crying inconsolably into a handkerchief while Miranda's father Justi stood staring into the fire._

The moogle of the house, Nila, started to rush over but was stopped by her master's gruff retort.

"I will speak to her" he said.

"Father what's wrong?" Miranda asked instinctively clutching her best friend's hand.

"Not now Miranda…" he said looking straight at Tyra. "Come with me Tyra."

Tyra gave a reassuring, brave smile to her friend and let go of her hand and turned to follow he caretaker out doors her heart thudding in her chest. When he stopped he turned and regarded her sadly but lacking any warmth. He found it inconvenient taking care of a child that was no relation to him even if that child was the daughter of his wife's dearest friend.

"Tyra I'm sorry to inform you…your parents were killed a few days ago," Justi said.

"What!" she exclaimed a numb shock paralyzing her body.

"Apparently someone betrayed their company to a group of Quadav soldiers and every last one of them were slain."

"But…but they were just there to care for the sick and wounded…" Tyra sobbed. Disbelief clung thickly to her heart. Her parents had gone as far as to go to another country that had once been their enemy to help those in need.

"It's the way of war child" he said sadly. "An enemy tactic often is to slaughter any White Mages they encounter behind enemy lines so they cannot assist the soldier's in battle."

"They didn't even fight… they just helped people," she said her voice quavering with emotion. "My mother was a doctor and my father was there to make medicines, they used their magic to heal…"

"The enemy rarely makes such distinctions. Your parents were capable of helping soldiers return to the battlefield and so to leave them alive was too great of a liability" he said quietly.

Trembling with emotion Tyra slide to the ground and hugged her knees to her chest.

The man she had lived with, the father of her best friend, eyed her helplessly. She could see he pitied her yet he still viewed her as a burden. All at once she felt alone.

"What's going to happen to me?" She asked catching her breath.

"A place will be found for you to stay in and you'll be given the chance to learn a trade I imagine" he stated.

"Father," Miranda said appearing in her doorway. Please, Tyra should stay here and be my sister. Both Mother and I think so."

"It's hard enough to feed and clothe ourselves. We cannot take her in Miranda."

Just then Miranda's mother appeared in the door next to her daughter with the knight at her shoulder. "Please, Justi let's talk this through. We already have been caring for her for these past 4 months."

"Mr. at least take the time to discuss this" the unidentified knight replied.

"Very well," the man at last relented. "Miranda you stay outside with her."

Tyra watched them unable to cry any more as her friend rushed to her side and clasped her in her small arms.

"It will be alright you'll see and well be just like real sisters," her friend said in a comforting voice.

"No it won't," Tyra replied. "Your father hates me because I always get you into trouble."

"He doesn't hate you…"

"He does and now I'm going to be more of a burden to him" Tyra said in a quiet voice. "I should go."

"Tyra, don't say that…"

"I mean it and I am," the child stated a note of steely resolve in her voice. "I'll find somewhere."

"Tyra don't talk like that."

Tyra looked sternly at Miranda feeling at once an annoyance at her insistence of trying to comfort her. She knew what was real, Miranda's father didn't want her, and she'd seen other orphan's that nobody wanted. Nothing but hardship lay ahead for her and to pretend anything else was ridiculous.

"I need to be alone" Tyra said.

"But Tyra…" Miranda pled tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm going and don't follow me," Tyra stated as she turned and ran into the streets while they fell into the mistiness of twilight. She ran as fast as she could through the slowly dwindling crowds in the street. Unthinking she ran past the guards at the gate preparing to close the city up for the night and into West Ronfaure leaving behind their shouts of protest. Thinking she heard pursuit behind her she ran faster and harder feeling the tears dry up more with every foot-fall following the wild path she had a million times before. At last she halted where she could run no more. She had come to the shore by the lake.

Tyra slumped down breathing hard. This was the place she thought of when she thought of her parents. Her grief had driven her here to be alone with her memories. Her mother liked to picnic there before the war with the orcs began and they had ventured one last such picnic the day they left home. She thought of the three of them smiling and happy, her parents reassuring her that they would return and then one picture remained in her head.

She remembered a strange pendant. A crystal around her mother's neck black as night like the kind the leather crafters used to tan hides. Her mother had said it was special and needed to be guarded and that one day she herself would be responsible for it. "I wonder what happened to it" she thought "I wonder exactly what happened to them."

Hearing a shuffling sound Tyra looked up with a start to see her friend looking down at her.

"Tyra it's not safe here" the girl gasped in the falling shadows. "Since the orcs took Ghelbesha they're all around everywhere. Come back with me please. Just give us a chance to talk to my father."

Tyra regarded her a moment, her thoughts and her feeling wrestling in her mind, trying to decide what she should do. At last, as her friends hand reached out for hers the elvaan girl slowly raised and as if in a dream she heard a rumbling growl from deep within the wooded shadows. Both children stood stalk still, their wide-eyes locked with each others. Then it came crashing through the trees, an immense axe wielding Orc.

Miranda's reaction was instant. Screaming she ran towards Tyra and the orc lumbered after. Turning Tyra began to run as well and came face to face with a hooded orc wielding a staff. Tyra's breath was knocked out of her as clods of grass and rock rose from the ground below her feet and pelted her over and over. The elvaan child nearly collapsed; staring into the hidden face of her attacker she felt no fear. As if in a dream she heard the screams of her companion cut short and saw the heavy wooden staff come down upon her as she descended into darkness.

Tsumi paused as she entered into the door of the inn. Tucked away in the back alleys of the Bastok Mines district it wasn't much but it was out of the way and quiet. As she wordlessly passed the clerk at the desk she pushed away the memory. It was useless dwelling on it. She had lived that day but Miranda had not. It was of no consequence that her remaining childhood was spent in the home of the man that blamed her for his daughter's death. It didn't matter that she had been treated as little better than a servant day in and day out. She had risen above that. She had made her way in the world and became powerful instead of powerless. She had done it all despite her "benefactors" malice and found a way to escape.

Closing the door behind her muttered an incantation under her breath and concentrated on the candle on the table. The wick lit up as the fire flared around it. Closing she made her way to the bed and unsheathing her swords one at a time she set them by the side where she could reach them in a moments notice in case any attack came in the night. As she finished her preparations for sleep she reflected how far she had come from the grieving orphaned child. She learned to push her emotions aside and use them to fuel her determined climb from her helpless situation. Devouring all the knowledge stored in the cathedral library she had determined that a Red Mage was the best choice for a self-sufficient warrior and sought to save enough money to go to the eminent school of magic in the land in Windurst.

Her education to become a Red Mage she had to work hard to attain. It had been a stroke of luck, however, that had landed her the best teacher of swordsmanship in San d' Oria. She had thought she would have to learn much on her own and copied diagrams and instruction from books. While trying to copy these diagrams Balasiel, trainer and former captain of the knights had seen her. He was impressed by what she had been able to teach herself and offered to train her. He even taught her some basic White Magic spells in hopes she would enter formal training and become a paladin like he himself. She however had her own goals and as soon as she was able she went to Windurst. She paid for her education in Windurst by working for the school doing everything she could for those that worked there and others in town. Nothing came easy to her; no other master teachers fell into her lap like Balasiel had. She had to hunt for them and convince them to train her in whatever they excelled at and then move on to the next. Everyone admired her determination but many at the schools pride were hurt when she decided to move on to a new teacher. She and she alone had decided when she had learned all she could from those teachers and it was then she had begun the education that would lead her to her life as a mercenary.

It was on the day she left Windurst that Tyra had died and Tsumi was born. Tsumi, the powerful mercenary red mage, was the one who would go to any lengths to bring vengeance upon the destroyers of Tyra's life. Tsumi she had learned meant "sin" and "crime" in an old elvaan dialect that existed before San d' Oria had even been conceived. She knew that the path she had chosen would undoubtedly lead her in the very things that new name stood for and so she had left Tyra's weakness behind. To everyone who looked or tried to find Tsumi's past they never would anything because only she held the knowledge of that name was once hers. Perhaps there were some people that could remember Tyra and in some dark corner of San d' Oria there may lay a record of her unfortunate past, but those were only things that could be connected with Tsumi if she gave them the key to unlocking them.

She had arrived in Bastok as Tsumi and she had found mercenaries and thieves willing to teach her the trade. It was then that she had learned of ninjitsu and saw its potential for making her a more balanced warrior. She managed getting the trust of the local chapter of the Tenshodo and to convince Kagetora to train her in ninjitsu. She excelled as usual due to her talent and hard work and then she began her quest. To search out those that had killed her parents.

Tsumi lay down and closed her eyes. Tomorrow she would get up early and organize a small raiding party. They would be the distraction for her and her client to get into the depths of the mine. Perhaps there she would find the quadav that had her mother's necklace and perhaps it would lead her to the one that had ordered the execution of her parents and the other White Mages that day. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: Balasiel is an NPC created by Square Enix for FFXI and I have merely borrowed him for this story. I do not own or in any way claim to have created him or the online game FFXI.**

**Mercenary Heart**

Part 2

Tsumi didn't make it a pastime to dwell on the past, however molding your entire life around vengeance did require a certain measure of it. Her knowledge that she would soon face the Quadav with her mother's necklace again had caused her to become introspective as she concluded her preparations while the cold fingers of dawn slowly crept over the horizon.

Some would say that to hang on to the hope of vengeance for so long was a way of keeping the past alive and perpetuating the cycle of self-pity, but for Tsumi it was a way of finally putting everything to rest. Once she had found the man responsible for beginning her cycle of suffering she could at last put answer to every question, she could destroy the bitterness she held in her heart and with that done she could finally leave behind every vestige of the weak girl who had no power to defend herself that she had once been.

Children need a protector, a provider and a champion to last in the world and many orphans had found all these. Some would argue Tsumi should have been grateful for the often cold plates of food she was served and the blanket and the broken mattress she had been provided at Justi's furniture shop but she could never forgive the man for treatment of her. He had never beaten her, never raised a hand to her, but the cold flip remarks and his constant belittling of her before everyone that she came in contact with did far worse to her than a beating ever could. The proud, "holy" elvaan could not stomach a child with the naturally "defiant, ungrateful and wicked" spirit Justi claimed she had. Of course he also told his version of the story of her and Miranda's tragic encounter with the orcs. In his version she had purposely let Miranda take the blunt of the attack so she might live. He kept her out of his house, she was an outcast, taking pains to make sure she was alone and friendless. Due to this she had been at the mercy of others who then took advantage of the friendless state Justi had left her in.

_Sixteen-year-old Tyra stared in wonder at the many flags and beautiful tapestries that lined the hall to the barrack of the San d'orian Knights._

_Balasiel led her to a small door at the end of the corridor and opened it. Lighting the lamp revealed it to be a small space, most likely used as a storage closet previously judging from the number of shelves still left high up the wall, with a bed crowded in one corner. Tyra walked forward and tested the mattress and found it to hard and firm. She struggled to hold back her tears because although it wasn't much it was far more than she ever had been given by Justi._

_"It is a great honor that you have been allowed to live here with the other Knights in training even though we had no room to spare," Balasiel informed her for the second time. "You are not a true student yet Tyra, your capacity here is unofficial but since you possess a great talent I will recommend you for next term."_

_"That is unnecessary Sir Balasiel I only wish to learn the ways of the sword not become a knight," she informed him._

_"Then what do you aspire to" he asked clearly puzzled as to why else she would wish to know how to fight._

_"I have already decided to become a Red Mage and I will need to wield a sword skillfully as well as be proficient in magic" she answered with a smile. "A Paladin seeks only the good of the Kingdom and I seek nothing but my own goals so you see I would make a poor Knight."_

_"Well I hope in time to change your mind" the old knight said gently. "Not only could the Kingdom use another knight but faithful service could perhaps atone or acquit you of Justi's accusations."_

_Tyra's face fell at this remark, her heart going dead to avoid the emotion this evoked, and coated her voice in sternness. "I have nothing to atone for and I do not seek Justi or anyone else's approval."_

_"And who is this?" a voice demanded from behind the old man. It wasn't long before a young silver-haired Elvaan man crowded rudely past Balasiel into the doorway. "A new maid perhaps...?" He said with a roguish smile setting Tyra's teeth on edge._

_"Marius, Tyra is my new personal pupil. She has not yet begun in the school but I find her talent impressive so I am beginning her training personally" Balasiel said a look of annoyance on his face._

_"Here that Abuerjean we have a new student so special Balasiel keeps her locked in the utility closet and takes her out to train her privately" Marius called over his shoulder to a black-haired elvaan with a sparse amount of stubble on his face, his hair also tied back. "Not that I blame him she is pretty."_

_Tyra clinched her fist biting back her words. Judging from Balasiel's demeanor despite the insults leveled at him, the young men came with some influence. Both were apparently Knights in the last phase of their Temple Knight training judging from their armor and trappings._

_"Be assured Marius that is not the reason for my interest and neither should it be yours. Tyra is a guest here, she is earning her keep through hard work, something you seem to have forgotten lately. Both of you go back to your duties."_

_"Whatever you say Sir Blasiel" he drawled bowing floridly his friend copying the gesture._

_"Right away" the hitherto silent Abuerjean stated with a clipped salute._

_Tyra watched the two leave with a distinct sense of loathing and perhaps foreboding developing in her chest._

It was thereafter that Tyra learned the cold emptiness that was a knight's honor. Marius and Abuerjean became a living nightmare to from that day foreword. It started as nothing more than a few disparaging remarks on her sword skills and a suggestion that she just find work as a whore where her true assets would be put to good use. She complained and instead of doing anything about it the Knights and even Balasiel wrote it off since they were both from old and respected families. They were honored, highly spoken of, and she of course was an orphaned girl with a poor reputation and purported to be wicked by the upstanding Justi and therefore not to be believed. She was told that if she continued to slander the good names of these two young elvaan she would be thrown out. This unfortunately made them grow bolder and more aggressive in their harassment. She was cornered, groped, touched and subjected to all manner of descriptions of what sexual acts would be done to her if they found her isolated. She grew fearful but didn't say a word, locking her closet at night and looking over her shoulder during the day praying that she would have enough strength to hold on until her sword skills were good enough to leave. She saved the meager allowance the school gave her, the most of her work being considered to be in payment of room and board, she studied harder than most and drilled constantly.

Finally, one day it all came to a deadly head. The day she decided to fight back.

_The sounds of the summer festival floated over the battlements as Tyra slowly drilled her maneuvers. After a year her skills were as good as a novice knight. Although she had not officially joined the ranks of the students all knew Balasiel considered her a Paladin in training. She had made it clear that she would leave now that the term ended having saved enough Gil to get her to Windurst. She'd find a way to get into the school of magic there perhaps cutting a deal as she had done here. An unofficial student and working employee there couldn't be any worse than it had been here._

_"There you are whore" a familiar voice slurred making Tyra's anger rise._

_"Go away I don't have to take your insults or anymore I'm leaving this place tomorrow so I'll have no one to answer to should I choose to teach you a lesson."_

_The raucous laughter made Tyra's heart sink. They wouldn't be going away and since they were drunk this would be worse than usual._

_"You who barely have the adequate skills of a first year knight in training teach us a lesson who just graduated with full honors?"_

_"Barely graduated by virtue of your families' names alone from the way Balasiel tells it" Tyra fired back turning to face them smirking defiantly. "Go back to those that care to have you around and will give you your undeserved honor. I know what pigs you truly are just playing knights for the benefit of your families' crests. Besides I'm the only one carrying a sword last I checked and I am sober unlike you two. It seems the odds are stacked in my favor, wouldn't you say? In a battle between a knight in training against two weaponless drunken pigs the victor seems obvious."_

_This insult hit a mark. She could see it in their faces, particularly in Abuerjean's. Of the two he cared most about his family honor, while Marius liked being a despot, and clung to what little he had with determination. Marius looked down to his vacant sword belt in consternation but his friend moved forward with a sneer. Marius leaned on the battlement to watch the show realizing for once of his folly but Abuerjean clumsily kicked at her hand trying to disarm her._

_Tyra danced back out of the way and cut through his empty sword belt making it fall to the ground. He grasped at her sword time and again growing more frustrated and for once Tyra felt exhilarated dodging his clumsy hands._

_"Stop now while you are ahead," she chided the furiously flailing knight._

_"Marius help me we can't let this whoring wench get away with this," Abuerjean growled._

_Marius looked a bit rattled by this idea._

_"What's the matter Marius are you afraid I'll make a fool of you too?" Tyra goaded._

_Marius moved forward after a moment considering the insult obviously the least drunk of the two. Tyra glided to the side avoiding the black-haired elvaan and kicked him in the seat of his pants making him wobble forward to clutch at the battlement. Between the two parapets he steadied himself as Marius took a hand-to-hand stance. It seemed he would be a little more of a problem but Tyra loved a challenge._

_"So you know hand-to-hand?" She said with a grin._

_He struck out at her feet with a sweeping kick which she jumped over quickly. Dancing back she made him face the blade keeping it between them ready to defend low-or-high. He fainted a strike above and then struck at her belly. Barely missing his attack she cut into his right forearm as they passed._

_As anger flared in Marius's eyes his friend recovered and rushed her blindly from behind. Closing her eyes she decided to reveal her secret weapon. Some Black Mage Scrolls she had found in the Cathedral library and memorized had taught her the basic elemental attacks of Stone, Aero and Fire. Now, she decided, was the time to turn that into her strength against those unaccustomed to Black Magic._

_She directed her spell towards Abuerjean's lumbering charge and loosed the spell. She quickly opened her eyes to parry Marius' blow with her blade cutting his hand across his knuckles on her blade. Marius' surprise and anger mounted as she heard the wind kick up and slam into her other foe knocking him further off-balance and crashing against the battlement once again. She took Marius's moment of surprise to bring her sword to his throat with a wicked grin and kicked him back away from her. Turning from Marius she treated Abuerjean to the effects of Fire singing his garments and thoroughly enjoyed watching as he cried out in alarm. She went to knock him out with the hilt of her sword when she heard Marius charging from behind. Settling to kick her quarry in the stomach she kicked out swiveling away in one strong motion to turn and face Marius. It was then she realized her mistake blindly kicking out when Marius' face turned to a look of absolute horror and Abuerjean's scream rang as he fell over the battlement._

_Screams could be heard as his body plummeted into the middle of the celebrations below._

_Marius in a rage wrested her sword from her and the only thing she could think to do was run._

Tsumi breathed in the cold air, the cloak she wore hung low below her shoulders and pushed the tendrils of her disturbed memories aside. Early mornings in the desert were always cold and that's all Bastok was really, a high desert. She surveyed the others as they gathered their weapons and various and sundry provisions for the day long trip. Tsumi knew she would have no trouble finding mercenaries willing to come and raid the Palborough Mines once more thus providing the distraction needed by her and her client to get deep into the mine. She had gotten 15 to join her this time and they were eager as always, the previous raids had minted them all a nice portion of Gil after all.

"So Slayer o' Palbourgh any specific instructions this time around?" Asked an axe wielding hume mercenary.

Tsumi smirked at the mention of the knick-name she had earned from her Quadav slaying exploits and raids on Palborough over the last three years.

"Just make as much trouble and noise as you can so that I go unnoticed for as long as possible" she replied pulling the hood up over her red-hair.

"The Quadav may be stupid but they mus' know even yer smell by now" the man said with a wicked laugh.

"That's what deodorize is for" Tsumi replied simply.

The men quieted as two hooded figures approached. One was obviously the elvaan that had contracted her services earlier. The other appeared to be a hume male but the hood fell over his face obscuring his features.

"Good to see you decided to join us" Tsumi said wryly to her client. "And I see you brought a friend. Your mysterious employer I presume."

"Yes" the unidentified man said beneath his cowl. "I told Preverias to find someone capable of retrieving the supplies for me. I hope it doesn't take long."

"No longer than necessary" she replied.

"There are 10 marked cases I want all of them back if you want to be paid. Preverias is going with you to ensure nothing is stolen by this lot."

The grumbles that arose from this comment rumbled through the small band. "It won't I assure you because I would exact punishment myself from whoever stole my fee from me." Tsumi was pleased to see the unrest quelled by her threat.

"Excellent I leave you to your work" the man replied with a sly smile beneath his cowl and slowly turned away.

"Prevarias stay with me I'll get us through. As for the rest of you now that I know there are 10 containers I need half of you with me. We need to be in and out quickly" Tsumi ordered.

Mounting their chocobos the small raiding party began its trek to the mine. Tsumi knew the way by heart. She had been coming there for a long time seeking some kind of comfort in slaughtering the beasts that had been responsible for the deaths of her parents and her resulting suffering, yet now she knew more than she had back then and it gave her little solace. The truth was the Quadav were dumber than bricks and the only reason they had been successful that day was because they had been ordered to do so by the Shadow Lord through his mysterious general. She knew the Shadow Lord currently causing trouble was not the same individual that existed during the war but that person was somehow over-shadowed by the amorphous part of the megalomaniac that somehow remained alive all these years that brought with it the memories and malice of its original keeper. To kill this Shadow Lord would merely take him out of existence until his next "rebirth" so revenge upon him even seemed hollow. The general however was a different story, if she could find him and he was still alive he wouldn't be for long. She had already gone to great lengths to ensure her freedom to exact that vengeance, if it was still possible nothing would get in her way.

_Tyra approached the door her heart thudding in her chest. She knew this was it, the point of no return, the day she had longed for every night sleeping on the broken mattress in Justi's cold furniture shop, now it was possible to escape all those that would control her._

_Entering the den of thieves she did her best to look confident although she was entering the unknown. She felt the leers and ogles of the men she past burning every inch of her body. It reminded her too much of the looks Marius gave her not to unsettle her a little but she knew she would have to get used to it since from this point on she would have to deal with thieves and cut-throats._

_"Well what can we do ye fer miss?" the old man behind the counter said._

_"I need passage out of the city and documents forged" she replied tossing the purse full of money on the counter with a piece of parchment on which her instructions were written. "I also need you to put me in hiding before we leave."_

_"Bastok citizenship papers, eh?" the man said perusing her note. "Curious name ye be wantin' it changed to…" He stopped for a moment to leer at her. "And why would a pretty young thin' like yerself be needin' to take on a fake identity?" He paused and picked up the silken change pursue caressing the San D'orian crest on its side. "This be a mighty fine purse for a wench like yerself to be havin'. Who'd ye steal it from?"_

_"None of your business old man" she snapped feeling herself grow angry and afraid all at once. "I'll also need a letter of introduction to the chapter of the Tenshodo Group in Bastok."_

_"Tenshodo…" the old man drawled punctuating it now with a whistle. "What would ye be needin' to do with them?"_

_"I wish to train as a mercenary," she answered._

_"Mighty fine aspirations…"_

_"Shut up and just tell me if you are capable of getting what I need."_

_"Hold yer chocos gal I ain't told ye no."_

_Just then a commotion began to erupt from behind and the old man looked up a cruel smile on his face. "I think I know who's change purse this be" he said a touch of amusement in his voice._

_In one swift motion she turned and let her hand hover at ready over her sword pushing down her fears. The old man had been right it was Marius his doublet slightly askew from quick dress._

_"I can't believe you'd be this stupid Tyra" the man said angrily. "You thought I wouldn't awaken and notice my purse was missing? You thought you could get away by compounding your crime with theft? You thought I would just let you go without telling what I know and without tracking you down?"_

_"No you're right it was stupid to think I could get away without a fight" she said with all the bravado a novice Red Mage could muster when facing an experienced Paladin. "You always made it clear you would go to the authorities if I didn't just stay where I was kept my mouth shut about you and your visits to collect your payment." She smirked turning her back on him and paused for a parting remark, "You will have no hold over me any longer. Don't try to stop me."_

_"You belong to me. I own your life" he said in fury grabbing her shoulder from behind. "I allowed you to come to Windurst a free woman although you deserved to die for the murder of my friend and I even lied about what happened saying I accidentally sent him over when our drunken scuffle got out of hand."_

_"And you made sure I paid you back in your bed," she snarled wrenching her shoulder from his grasp kneeing him between the legs. He staggered back with a curse and began to pull his sword from its scabbard while still hunched painfully over. Muttering the incantation for blindness she hurled the dark magic into his startled face. And bringing her sword up she made a split second decision driving it through his heart. He would plague her no more and not bring back her weak past to haunt her. She was no longer his or anyone else's victim. She looked into his unseeing eyes for a moment before yanking the cold steal from his chest. As he slid in shock to the ground she watched as the life began to leave him. To leave the past behind, to never again be faced with Abuerjean's death Marius had to die. "No one will ever touch me again against my will," she vowed._

_Noticing for the first time the dead silence in the room she looked up and around the room. Two men she had now killed. The first had been unintended on her part but the second had been deliberate and now with blood on her hands she could start a new life dedicated to vengeance. She would "sin" many more times before her revenge was realized which was why she chose the new name she had._

_"Coverin' this up will now be part o' the deal I be guessin' Miss… Tsumi…" the old man said glancing at the parchment she had given him. "…no last name?"_

_"No, just as it says… Tsumi nothing more and nothing less" she replied setting her features firm._

Dismounting the chocobo Tsumi headed for the mouth of the mine and towards the sentries posted outside its mouth. The eager mob of mercenaries dismounted and followed her unsheathing their weapons as they walked.

"Alright all of you know what to do" she stated glancing around until she found her client that appeared increasingly nervous as they approached the mine. "Pervarius stay close to me if you get lost in there no one will go to find you," she said in contempt to the man.

Unsheathing her twin swords a cold grin of anticipation crossed her features and she led the charge surging forward into the hapless sentries.


	3. Chapter 3

Mercenary Heart

Part 3

Tsumi watched as the first wave entered in advance of her. She turned and looked behind her at the Elvaan man that had hired her. He looked about to faint out of fear and she ordered him again to keep up as she entered the mouth of the cave.

Bodies of slaughtered Quadav already littered the first cavern, beckoning the nervous man on she continued deeper into the mine.

"How far do we have to go?" Prevarious asked with an alarmed expression.

"They would have taken your supplies to the deepest part of the mine," Tsumi answered going deeper in stepping around the Quadav bodies.

"Don't worry we'll watch your back or we won't get paid," one of the seven trailing mercenaries replied grinning roguishly at the further wilting elvaan.

Suddenly out from a side tunnel 3 Quadav came charging almost right on top of Tsumi. She spun around slicing through one's neck neatly while the other mercenaries quickly dispatched the others. The carcasses fell at Pervarious's feet and in response he squeaked in terror plastering his back to the mine wall. "Are you absolutely sure you know what you are doing?" he asked.

"If you don't think I'm capable I'll leave you here alone to deal with the Quadav on your own" she said would a cold deadly stare.

Gulping he ceased complaining and followed without another word to her relief. She had no reason to defend to herself. She had been a mercenary for more than 15 years. She was skilled and seasoned, very different than the young woman who had begun in the trade all those years ago.

_Tsumi stood in the warehouse next to Kategora, the ninja not even glancing in her direction. She watched him curiously._

_"I've read much of ninja" she finally stated "but I've never seen one in battle. I have also heard that when combining it with Red Magic it is twice as potent."_

_"What are you interested in ninjitsu mage?" Kategora laughed._

_"I might be if it is useful" Tsumi answered smirking._

_"Its actually very useful particularly to Red Mages. A Red Ninja is tough to beat."_

_"Then of course I am interested in learning what you have to teach and I will pay you well," Tsumi answered._

_"I just might do that but first you are here to meet your instructor in the ways of the mercenary."_

_Tsumi looked down at the Hume man that approached. His weathered skin was mottled with scars and a leather patch covered his right eye. His strange gate reminded her of the drunk sailors she saw that stumbled in from Norg and his broad shoulders slumped forward._

_"Tsumi meet Werwick he's the best mercenary we have."_

_Werwick eyed her suspiciously. "So this is the cheeky lass that demanded I teach her even if I already have my hands full with another student." He leered at her as he examined her making Tsumi uncomfortable and in turn angry._

_"You don't look like a first class mercenary hume" Tsumi stated stonily._

_"Oh I am lass" Werwick cackled. "I tell you what. This story I heard about you going all the way to Jeuno and bullying your way to an audience with Aldo because your former teacher was unsatisfactory caught my interest. I'll see what you're made of and then take you on if you're worth it."_

_Tsumi smirked. "Oh I am. I guarantee it."_

_The Hume gave her a sly nod. "Follow me then Lass."_

_He led her out the front door and into the street to where a young Hume man was standing. _

_"Tsumi this is Feliz my student and if you can best him then I'll take you on as well."_

_Feliz wasn't very impressive looking. Sort of an average looking, short Hume with brown hair in a crew cut._

_"So this is the reason we interrupted my training?" Feliz asked studying Tsumi. "I'll tell you what, I'll let this pass if after I beat you I can buy you a drink," he said to her his eyes not looking at her face._

_Tsumi felt her anger rise. She was going to have get something else to train in other than a harness one of these days. "Oh I'll win and if I catch you staring at my breasts again I'll rip the eyes out of your head."_

_Both the men laughed bawdily._

_"Now to see if you are really worth it or wasting our time."_

_Picking up her shield and holding her sword at ready Tsumi eyed her opponent as he swung his Great Axe from side to side in an effort to intimidate her. The people in the surrounding area in lower Jueno cried in alarm and pulled back to a safe distance. _

_Casting a Stoneskin Spell on herself the Red Mage Shook her head in disgust. These two really must have thought she was a young fool, well they were about to learn otherwise. Her smirk turning cold Tsumi cast a Paralyze spell on him, followed by a Slow before he reached her._

_Her shield connected with his axe as he swung it. Pulling back she called forth flames to her blade and this time parried the axe catching the axe beneath its head. The wood of the handle smoked at the contact as she casted a Fire Spell. While he was momentarily blinded by the flames Tsumi pulled back and around striking at him from behind. _

_Not to be outdone the warrior spun around trying to smack away her sword. While there was a backlash and her grip loosened she recovered but not before he struck her once with the blade. Tsumi stumbled back but was unharmed because her Stoneskin Spell still held._

_Regaining the grip on her sword she felt a surge of energy with her anger and with a cry pelted him with a flurry of stones. Following through with a feeling of increased strength she struck him crossing forward and back calling more upon the flames to increase the damage. _

_Stumbling back the warrior swung his axe forward kicking up the wind and claiming her shield just as her Stoneskin dropped. The fragment flew up cutting her cheeks fanning the flames of her anger. Pouring the anger she felt into her she struck him with lightening not realizing for a split second her view was colored darker. All that she knew was her opponent stopped for a moment in surprise she hit him with a powerful cutting whirlwind._

_Her opponent down, filled her with satisfaction and she swung her sword just short of his head. The look on his face was almost as satisfying as it would be to kill him. The idea of killing was coming more easily now, in battle her instincts and desire to cut down her opponents seemed strong. _

_"Alright you win!" Feliz said._

_Tsumi just then became aware of the surrounding crowd again and her sharp hearing heard calls for the far off guards._

_"Yes" Werwick said sounding a little distracted. "Alright Lass you have your way. Help your new training partner up."_

_Giving him her hand she helped the Hume to his feet._

_"I must admit I didn't know Red Mages could use the dark elements like that."_

_"What do you mean?" Tsumi asked._

_"The dark flames… just when you called the lightening" the Hume said._

_"I don't know what you mean," Tsumi said walking away pushing it from her mind. She didn't care what he thought he saw she was one step closer to her revenge. _

Tsumi and her mercenaries pressed forward into the mine. She was enjoying the slaughter as always but in the back of her mind she had another concern other than her client. She was looking for the Quadav, the one she had seen for a split second in the last two raids that had the Dark Crystal pendant around its neck. It had to be one present or at least a descendant of the ones that were responsible for killing her parents and she had vowed to kill it and take back what rightfully was hers.

_Tsumi was started awake with the sudden activity in the warehouse. It seemed the shipment had arrived and with it the man she had been waiting for. The rough looking men shuttled boxes to-and-fore from the Choco drawn cart eyeing her suspiciously or with open curiosity as she approached._

_Near the cart stood an older Hume man, his face bore a scare across his left eye, and he favored his right leg so she thought it must be who she was looking for._

_"Clive bourghs?" the young elvaan woman inquired when she reached the man still giving orders to the workers. In answer the man looked up at her obviously wondering who would dare interrupt him. _

_"Who's asking?" he finally bit out his eyes still on the men unloading the cargo._

_"I am Tsumi a fellow member of the Tenshodo" she said with a nod "and I am told you might have information about a particular attack of the Quadaav during the Crystal War in which I have interest."_

_This appeared to catch his interest as he now turned to face her. "And what attack might that be? I saw a lot when I was a young soldier."_

_"In Pashow Marshlands there was a camp of White Mages set-up after a battle" Tsumi began slowly and deliberately burying the hurt beneath forced even timber "shortly thereafter they were betrayed and massacred."_

_"I remember it… I was assigned to guard that camp but one of my detail was a traitor."_

_"Among the white Mages there were a Doctor and Alchemist from San d'oria with the last name of Rangmone. Do you remember them?"_

_"What if I do? What would it mean to you if I did?" he asked smelling a profit._

_Tsumi sighed. "Name your price…" she said being careful to keep her expression as neutral as possible._

_"100 thousand and I'll tell you everything…"_

_"Very well" the elvaan woman reached into her sack and counted gil into the man's open hand until the agreed fee had been paid.._

_"I remember them. Back then most of us had never been around Elvaan accept those that we had fought. At first no one wanted them there, especially the healers that we would have to trust to touch us and save our lives. There was a woman named Ceceil Rangmone though, and her husband Armonde, that patiently wore down our fears and prejudice with patience, kindness and assistance. If a man hated elvaan he still grew to respect them"_

_"The day you are talking about was a cold and miserable one. The healing camp had been moved there, they wanted them closer to the battlefront because we were getting ready to press into Beaudeaux. Me and about 20 other soldiers were sent in with our injured in a Chocobo pulled cart. Among them was a man_ _named Bulnoil, he had joined our regiment suddenly a week or so before, we needed everyone we could get for the fight so no one questioned his sudden appearance which proved to be a mistake. _

_We had a large number of injured and not enough to carry them in. Bulnoil suggested they leave just one on guard duty and have the other help carry in some injured. It sounded like a reasonable and humane request so one of the guards helped. The officers in charge of securing the camp joined us in helping the injured in. Basically everyone's focus was on getting the injured in and settled so we weren't prepared for an attack._

_Just as we had gotten the last person settled a regiment of Quadav overran us. They made quick and easy work of most of the soldiers, but a few with ranks like myself were mortally wounded and left alive. It was when I was being rounded up along with the White Mages and Doctors that I saw Bulnoil, he was standing next to another Hume man that was directing the Quadav. I realized then we had been betrayed._

_When we were all in a tight group the Quadav surrounded us and the Hume man came forward. He said his name was Malvok and he was a general in the Shadow Lord's army he commended Bulnoil for his excellent work in organizing the attack while working from the inside. He then ordered that all of the White Mages and Doctors be killed so that they could not assist the enemy. He said all of the ranking officers would be taken alive and interrogated._

_To everyone's surprise Ceceil spoke up. She said that the doctors and White Mages in the camp were only tending to the wounded and not part of the battle. She begged for him not to kill people who were just there to care for others. Malvok's response was quick and merciless, he ordered a Quadav standing there to kill her on the spot. The beast raised its sword and her husband stood between the beast and his wife stating they would have to go through him first._

_Malvok laughed and repeated his order. He watched laughing as they were both cut down and then told the other Quadav there to slaughter the rest. The rest of the officers were marched from the area hearing the slaughter behind us. I and some others were able to escape the next day and I went back to the camp hoping to see if there might be some survivors we could bring with us, but there was none. They were all dead, stripped clean of all the jewels and shiny things those Shell-backs prize. I continued on until I reached Bastok when I was about half-dead. No one else made it back alive, save me."_

_"Striped?" Tsumi queried. "Do you remember that Cecile wore a necklace, a dark crystal?"_

_"Yes I do come to think about it" the man answered with a thoughtful expression._

_"Did the Quadav take it?" _

_The man smiled knowingly. "You know a lot about these two for just a passing interest who are these people to you?"_

_"Nothing of consequence," Tsumi snapped. "You have given me all I need to know."_

_As Tsumi turned and walked away she heard a familiar voice._

_"Are you alright Tsumi?" Feliz asked her._

_"I'm fine" Tsumi answered without hesitation turning back to look at Feliz._

_"You're always searching for something" he continued nonchalantly leaning against the doorjamb "and always so defensive when asked about it. I might be able to help you if you'd let in on your little secret Tsumi."_

_"I can handle this on my own Feliz" Tsumi stated with an air of finality before turning and walking away._

Tsumi absently checked the neck of every Quadav that lay slain on the floor as her party climbed to the upper levels of the mine. Passing the old piece of mining equipment that separated the precious metals from the rock and crushing it to create gravel they entered into the chambers involved at one time in the processing and shipment of the minerals and metals into Bastok via the underground river to the Zeruhn Mine in Bastok.

Suddenly, the preceding group of mercenaries came pouring back into the room.

"What is it?"

"Ambush!" Shouted one of the mercenaries. "Hundreds are coming!"

Tsumi wheeled on the man knocking him off his feet. "This is a trap isn't it?"

The man's body language totally changed. He absently whipped the blood from his lip and rubbed his jaw grinning. "Yes, I can't understand why though I haven't seen anything that would merit the attention of my employer."

With a growl she silenced him, stabbing him through the heart as the Quadav poured into the room not only from the chambers ahead but also from behind cutting off the fleeing mercenaries.

Tsumi stood her ground. She wasn't afraid to fight even in the face of these odds. She wasn't rattled being used to betrayals. After all she was in a business where such things were common and this wasn't the first time she had been sold out. The only difference was the first time it happened she had been outraged and it had been by someone who she has foolishly trusted. She knew now never to trust anyone, it was the only way to survive.

_Tsumi stared into the campfire thinking everything over. She was getting so close to her vengeance. She had the name of the Shadow Lord's General now and was beginning to build a picture of his activities with each survivor she interviewed. A traitorous Hume that was in command of a detail of Quadav he was cold, ruthless and bloodthirsty. Like many of the Generals he seemed to disappear after the Shadow Lord's defeat. Now though there were signs of stirring among the Beastmen. There were reports of a Hume General rallying amongst the Quadav and her instinct told her that it was Malvok. She would find him and he would die at her hand even if it meant her own death._

_"Lost in your own world again…" a voice said startling her. Feliz smiled at her tossing another log onto the blaze. They were on an assignment for their master, staking out a camp of small time crooks that were reportedly involved in trying to scam the Tenshodo. "You should know me well enough by now to know you can tell me anything. Besides you know you want me."_

_Tsumi looked at the Hume man as the flames danced across his face as he grinned roguishly. He wasn't exactly handsome yet she found herself almost blushing at his comment. "Feliz your legs are scrawny and you act like a fool, why in Vanadiel would I want an arrogant Hume warrior like you?"_

_Feliz laughed. "You'll see one day I'll wear you down I always get what I want."_

_Tsumi shook her head and found herself smiling._

_"You see its already working, first a smile, next a laugh and then I'll get a kiss. After you get a taste of this you want anyone else," he said tapping his chest with both hands._

_"I told you I don't trust anyone let alone a bastard like you" Tsumi. _

_"Tsumi that may be true but I think it takes a bastard to appreciate a woman like you" Feliz said taking a seat next to her. "Kidding aside, I really care about you. I'm worried because you seem to get more and more self-destructive. I want to help you. If you would just trust me."_

_"Maybe I'll tell you one day Feliz" Tsumi said trying to push back the emotion she felt sneaking up. _

_"Why not make that day today?" Feliz said smiling. "Here we are alone, next to fire and under the stars. There won't be a better chance."_

_"I've never met anyone as brash as you," Tsumi said chuckling._

_Feliz pointed at her with a self-satisfied smirk. "See there's the laugh."_

_"It was barely a chuckle" Tsumi said trying to frown. This man unfortunately seemed to have the knack at getting under her skin. At first she had hated him but now she enjoyed their verbal spars. She sort of missed him when he wasn't around._

_Feliz's response this time wasn't verbal, instead he leaned in and kiss her quickly. No sooner than he pulled away she punched him soundly in the jaw landing the Hume sprawled on the ground. The sequence of events had happened so quickly it was only now that she truly realized he had dared to kiss her. She slowly grew angry not so much for the act but that she wasn't repulsed at the thought of it. As he slowly sat up she even felt upset at the thought of hurting him._

_"Your lucky I find the pain you inflict extremely sexy" he said looking up at her with a lustful expression._

_Kicking the man soundly in the ribs once Tsumi turned and walked away from the fireside fuming to herself. Sitting on a boulder the elvaan woman put her head in her hands. She couldn't believe the man's audacity yet she couldn't deny she liked him, maybe even a little too much. Anyone else and she would have done much more than one punch and a kick._

_"Hey I'm sorry…" She heard from behind. "I know I'm a jerk but the truth is I don't know how to be any other way. And I'm really not sure how to be around you."_

_"Why do you keep this up?" she asked still feeling exasperated._

_"Because I figure it's worth it if I can get through all those walls you have up," Feliz said coming up from behind the boulder. "I really mean it when I said I care about you," this time he put his hand on her shoulder._

_Tsumi tensed but she didn't pull away. She had lost all will to strike him because somehow she believed him. "You really want to know my past?" she asked._

_"Of course, I want to know everything about you."_

_Sighing she decided to trust him. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad and she could work out whether she wanted to trust him with even more._

She had been a fool that day and told him everything. It was a not even a year later when Feliz had proven to her that she should never care or trust anyone. It had hurt her at first, but it had taught her what a fool she was to let emotions get in the way of logic.

In a way though Feliz had done her a favor. His and Werwick's betrayal had honed her senses. She had learned to bury and push aside attraction and sympathy and focus only on the emotions that mattered to an instrument of vengeance. Yes now she only knew suspicion, distrust and hate.

She had barely survived the day that they had turned on her, somehow by the skin of her teeth, and she knew she would now. Somehow she always survived, there seemed to be something deep within her, a physical manifestation of her rage that surfaced when she most needed it. She had no doubt it would surface now just had it had then.

_Tsumi glanced out over the barren Qufim wasteland unsurprised that few were out wandering there after dark. It was a strange place for Werwick to request for a meeting with a client. Somehow it just didn't feel right to her. "Are you sure Werwick said to meet him here?"_

_"Yes" said Feliz, "Although this choice makes me doubt his sanity."_

_Tsumi chuckled until her sharp hearing picked up the nearby sound of footfalls. _

_"What is it?" Feliz asked concerned over her sudden silence._

_"More than one person is coming this way" she said casting an Utsemi-Ichi._

_After a few moments only one person emerged from the darkness ahead, Werwick._

_"Hello Master, Are you alone or is Tsumi hearing things?" Feliz answered instantly dropping his guard._

_"It must have been an undead minion, I'm alone" Werwick said with a lingering stare at Tsumi's face as if he was trying to gauge something._

_  
"You're acting strangely lately" she said feeling her suspicions coalesce. "Are you hiding something from me?"_

_For an instant Feliz began to speak but a stern look from Werwick silenced him._

_"It's nothing Lass, just some personal troubles, the wife and kids and all" he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I think its time to start the operation don't you?"_

_"Perhaps so" Tsumi said with the unsettled knot in her stomach tightening as she followed Werwick to Delkfutt's Tower. Feliz continued trying to joke with her but she ignored him, she didn't like the fact that it seemed Feliz was in with Werwick on this little secret that every fiber in her being was telling her was dangerous to her._

_Werwick stopped before the doors. "Tsumi and I will be going in you stay as sentry Feliz."_

_"Wouldn't it be better for us 3 to stay together?" Feliz asked._

_"No. Tsumi and I can handle it." Werwick turned and entered signaling to Tsumi to follow._

_Tsumi followed behind Werwick her senses on high alert. She felt the now familiar sensation of distant clam replace the nervous knot, she knew a battle was coming as the quiet shadows greeted her where goblins should have been on the prowl. Stopping at the fork in the tunnel she planted her feet drawing up her sword and shield._

_"What is going on and don't bother lying… I know something isn't right about this" the elvaan mage demanded. Opening her senses further she felt something dark, ominous and cold hanging in the air waiting to pounce._

_Werwick turned with a light smile. "Come now Lass, why would you think I meant you harm? I'm your teacher."_

_"Because I sense it…I sense something dark and dangerous around here," she said not really understanding it._

_"You do?" the Hume said laughing. "Then maybe there is something to what he told me…"_

_"Who told you what about me. …What is going on here?" Tsumi demanded angrily._

_"Well that's just the thing Lass… See I did some digging since people that go using fake names and not talking about their past always are hiding interesting things. And so I asked Feliz if he knew anything about you and he told me a real interesting story."_

_"Feliz?" Tsumi asked feeling sick in the pit of her stomach._

_"Yep your boyfriend told me you came from Windurst before joining the Tenshodo. Said you were running from an accident that happened in San d'oria and I went to Windurst to check up on it."_

_Tsumi felt numb. Feliz had betrayed her. Feliz who said he cared about her… who she had started to care about had betrayed her. Her master who she had looked-up to had betrayed her also for what? A reward?_

_"It seems some nere-do-well in the local crime syndicate had a story to sell about a nice-looking red-headed female elvaan and a half dressed Paladin that came stumbling in after her." His smile turned almost chilling. "And it just so happens I wasn't the only one that had been searching for you Tyra."_

_"I no longer go by that name…."she said feeling the anger begin to well up._

_"You see Tyra… You should be glad I wasn't the only one looking for you because if I had gone through with the first plan that crossed my mind I would have gone to San D'oria and offered the grieving family of the dead Paladin to bring you in to face criminal charges.. this other fella though had a better offer. Capture you alive and deliver you to some people that are very interested in your ability to handle dark energy."_

_"You must be insane," Tsumi fairly growled feeling the cold fury grow._

_"Think that if you want but these people still think you are something special so I'll deliver you up for a nice reward."_

_Two other men came from the shadows as she brought up her shield and sword. She would repay both of them, first Werwick and then Feliz, for betraying her. With an angry cry she shielded herself both with stoneskin and fire in nearly seamless fashion. The flames on her sword leaping up she charged into the attacker behind her. Unprepared for the sudden attack the man fell back defending. Swinging her sword back she cut him across his abdomen and he fell forward into her blade as she met him halfway impaling him._

_Swiveling quickly she caught sight of Werwick with another man running with a net towards her. The third a ninja cast Utsemi-ni and then vanished from sight._

_Casting a fire spell on the two she smirked in satisfaction as the net caught fire. The two men dropped the net into the snow and then, with a nod, drew their weapons._

_Just then the ninja connected with her suddenly appearing from nothing. One of his Shadows vanished as he hit her Fire shield. She connected with the sword another shadow vanishing. Unfortunately her stone skin faded so that the ninja's next blow drew blood. He struck again and with that pain Tsumi unleashed a torrent of wind upon him. Realizing the last of his Shadows had disappeared Tsumi stabbed at him as the last of her two attackers met her._

_"Tsumi!" she heard from the cavern behind. She turned and saw Feliz and her rage renewed she felt the mysterious energy, dark and foreboding build up. If they wanted this ability she would give it to them. Again she unleashed the dark flames causing them to fall back. _

_Turning wildly upon the object of her fury within arms length, Werwick, she struck him with a burst of dark energy driving the blade through his heart. As she turned and twisted it out turning on the balls of her feet she turned to meet the bewildered gaze of Feliz holding his axe at the neck of the last attacker._

_"Feliz… You aren't a part of this plot?" she demanded stopping dead in her tracks. _

_"Plot? I don't know what's going on," Feliz said looking desperately hurt. He looked at the bodies around him at the face of the raging woman in obvious consternation._

_"You told Werwick everything I told you in confidence and he betrayed me," Tsumi growled. "You betrayed me Feliz."_

_"He told me he was worried about you I thought…" Feliz began._

_"No Feliz you didn't think, you thought nothing about your promise to me!" Tsumi said the darkness now becoming a visible aura._

_"Tsumi I'm sorry I didn't know…." Feliz he said trailing off realizing any apology now would be meaningless._

_"Drop him and leave then," she ordered the Hume all feeling she had for him lost in her hate._

_"We should…"_

_"Silence! There is no we and there will never be a we. Leave him and go if you don't want to share his fate."_

_Wordlessly he released the man stepping back a moment of fear and pain clear on his face. He turned to walk away from the sight of the man on his knees begging realizing there was nothing he could do to stop her. _

_Tsumi lopped off the man's head numb to any feeling but anger and hatred. She knew from that point on she would never make the mistake of trusting or caring for another person again._

Tsumi felt her excitement build with each kill, she didn't care about the mercenaries falling left and right to the Quadav. Her protective spells hadn't yet faded and she together with two other mercenaries had backed to a defensible position. The Quadav pressed forward, stepping over the bodies of the fallen mercenaries that filled the chamber. She felt the strange feeling yet again rise with her thirst for victory at all costs.

"Wait!" A voice called out a chorus of grunts erupted from the Quadav in response.

"No kill" some Quadav articulated halting their press forward to the last three survivors.

The crowd parted in front of the familiar form of a hooded figure.

"Our employer. I should have known" Tsumi fairly growled.

"Take the two others away and deal with them I'll deal with your slayer," the man said beneath the cowl.

"Thank you for bringing about our deaths Slayer" one of the mercenaries said sneering at her. The mercenaries swore and spit at the Quadav that grabbed their arms and led them dragging them away. Soon the sounds of their brutal deaths could be heard but it didn't rattle Tsumi, she calmly stood her ground.

"So you want to kill me… Who hired you these idiot Shell-backs?" Tsumi quipped.

"Oh no, the Shadow Lord sent me. You are causing too much trouble here distracting the Quadav from their tasks to further his power."

As he spoke Tsumi scanned the tightly packed throng of Quadav behind the man and something caught her eye, a faint glimmer at the throat of an old Quadav, a glimmer of a Dark Crystal Pendant. At the sight of it she felt her ire rise and the feeling of power returned and seemed to infuse her muscles with extra strength. At least she would kill this Quadav, it had some connection to the ones that killed her parents and it would give her some measure vengeance to destroy it with what might be her last breathe.

Even if she hadn't found and killed Malvok she could kill his tools.

_Tsumi stood looking out across the water outside the Neptune's Spire acting nonchalantly as the Galka approached. He was apparently an adventurer from Bastok and claimed to have seen movement of the Quadav preparing for battle recently. There had been whispers of another war, of the Beastmen once more attacking the 5 races under a reborn Shadow Lord and he was looking for mercenaries to join him in a covert mission._

_"So you are Tsumi," the Galka said in a characteristically deep voice. "I hear you might be interested in some work in Bastok."_

_"Maybe, it depends how much you are offering."_

_"The government in Bastok is looking for adventurers to clear out the mines of the Quadav."_

_"Is it true you think the Shadow Lord is involved."_

_"I'm pretty sure after what I saw," he said his voice drifting into a whisper, "but it's not official yet."_

_"I've heard the same from other nations. What specifically did you see?"_

_"Well I heard some talking and grumbling of the Quadav when I was in North Gutasburg so I snuck up on my belly to investigate. Out in front of the entrance to Palbourgh Mines there was this guy in a cloak talking to the Quadav, looked like they had been fighting him along with this older Hume. His back was to me but I could hear him talking."_

_"'Take me to your Chief now, I have a message from your Lord and mine.'" He said._

_"'You not him," one Quadav answered._

_"' I assure you even though I'm in another body now I'm the same general that fought alongside your people. Now if I can talk to your chief we can avoid any needless bloodshed. We can help your people rise again."_

_Then he removed his hood. I could see why they had trouble believing he was some warrior from the past. He was a young blonde, Hume man, younger than you I'd wager, with a circlet on his head._

_"He is General Malvok and you should take us seriously if you don't want to anger the Shadow Lord," the older Hume man stated._

_Well they stood there looking at one another and then one of the Quadav caught my scent and I had to run."_

_"So Malvok is alive and well in Palbourgh Mines with the Quadav," she said with a cruelly gleeful smile. "I'll definitely delight in seeing the Shell-backs and their masters suffer."_

That was what had led her to become the Slayer of Palbourgh, which is what had led her to this moment.

"I really don't see what all the fuss was about…" the cowled man said but he was cut-off when the woman before him emanated a strange dark aura.

With a cry Tsumi surged forward attacking the Quadav bringing her sword down clean through his neck. The power was there she felt it and this time was aware of its aura surrounding her as she finished off the beastman. Stooping down she took the bloody pendant off of the body and swung around to meet the outraged mate of the Quadav now attacking her.

Suddenly she was struck by a wave of dark energy and her mind went black.

She could hear voices. Two voices, one large deep and ethereal the other familiar. After thinking a few moments she realized the familiar voice was that of the cowled man. Her head hurt, she could feel her limbs had been somehow restrained but her ears hadn't so she would listen and bide her time pretending to still be unconscious.

"My Lord please its been difficult to find a new host to replace Zaledo I thought this woman with her natural ability to manipulate dark energy would be a prime candidate."

"If there really is energy present then it might interfere with the Malvok's control of her mind. I still think it best for us to retrieve Zaledo, his mind could recall information at anytime which could jeopardize our plans."

Tsumi tried not to react visibly at that name. Malvok, the name of the Hume General who ordered her parent's deaths, what did all this mean. What did this host business mean?

"Perhaps it would be better to just destroy the crown and his spirit along with it. He was careless enough to let that boy Zaledo send him over the edge of the waterfall. My Lord I can be his replacement, I am…"

She felt numb for a moment. Malvok was dead, apparently due to some fluke, killed by another person. Was her vengeance dead? Was everything she had worked toward her whole life now pointless?

"Silence. Although you are a Hume like him his strategic mind could provide us an advantage in the coming new war. You are fortunate that I even allowed another Hume into my ranks. Besides you know that to destroy him you need the crown to be on the head of a host. Are you volunteering?"

Tsumi smiled. So Malvok was alive, reduced to a disembodied spirit attached to some crown. She still could gain her vengeance. If she was clever enough, and she knew she was, and her will was strong enough to withstand the Shadow Lord's will she could attain her goal.

"If you want this hume Zaledo back I can find him for you in exchange for my life," Tsumi spoke up.

"Who dares speak?"

"It is the woman…"

"My name I Tsumi my Lord and I excel in finding people. I guarantee I can find him and bring him back into your fold."

"Why should I even bother with you woman? Why would you do this?"

"Because I'm the best in my profession and I'll work for a fee or favor from anyone. In this case I get my life and you get back your minion."

"You are bold… It intrigues me…. Very well I'll take your bargain with one exception you pledge allegiance to me."

"I give alliance to no one but myself."

"Then you get no deal."

"Then I give it to you only for the duration of this contract. When I deliver Zaledo the contract is over."

"I say when it is over I may have other things a person that a person of your talents can be of use in… That is the terms."

"Very well, but only if there is one more stipulation I must make… If it appears that Zaledo is too uncooperative I want to kill him and get his crown."

A bellowing laugh filled the chamber. "To wear? You do not know what you ask for woman. The crown contains the spirit of Malvok and your feeble mind would be pushed aside and overshadowed by his will."

"I have a strong will I'm sure I can use it for my purposes," Tsumi said with an air of bravado. "Do you accept or not."

"You intrigue me woman… I may very well take your offer. Bulnoil release her" the Shadow Lord replied.

Again another she recognized, the traitor that had betrayed the camp. She could not of asked for more. All her enemies were in striking distance, Malvok and Bulnoi. Maybe she would trick the traitor and get him to wear the crown and then she could kill both the hume responsible for her parent's deaths.

"My Lord how can you…" the older hume man sputtered.

"Release her," the Shadow Lord ordered.

Tsumi smirked at the irritated Hume as he unchained her from the wall.

"Now I suppose you'll want me to swear loyalty which there is no point in" Tsumi began while stretching out her arms nonchalantly. "We have a deal and it's in both our best interests to keep it. I remain in your service until the debt is paid and it's just like any other contract."

"You are my thrall until I get my general back and until then you will do me some other services," the Shadow Lord said.

"Yes," Tsumi said with a salute to the dark figure. "That is what we have agreed on."

"Know this mercenary if you try to betray me you will regret it."

"Oh I'm certain if I did you would kill me," Tsumi stated glibly. Of course she knew that once she had killed both of these Generals the Shadow Lord would kill her but as long as she got her revenge it didn't matter. She had nothing in the world other than that vengeance to live for so it might even be fitting to die once it was attained.

"I will need a way to check up on your progress," the large horned being stated.

"I have just the thing" Bulnoi offered for the first time since his outburst was cut-short. He had an odd smile on his face as he produced a dark crystal pendant from his pocket, her pendant. "Imbued this with some of your power, it appears to mean something to this woman I doubt she will part from it."

Without a word the large being scooped up the necklace and held it between his hands, which glowed. "When you wear this I can see into your mind, I can read your thoughts and my power can work through you to my ends." When finished he threw it down at Tsumi who caught it.

"I will only wear it for those purposes then there are those that can sense such energy," she said feeling the pulsing of the energy in the jewel stir the familiar feeling of hate that seemed to accompany the dark power she evidently had.

"You must learn to wield its power and it will be interesting to see just what your own abilities may be, seek out the trainer of Dark Knights Zeid. Do not take the necklace with you, once he has taught you to unlock your abilities come back and Bulinoi will teach you to use the my power from the Crystal."

"Very well, I will see you again shortly," Tsumi said with a parting salute. With that she left flanked by demons on either side and returned to first Jueno and then Bastok.

She did as she was bade and sought out Zeid and then returned and learned to wear the pendant, use the Shadow Lord's power and most importantly to keep her own will despite the pain and dark thoughts that nearly drove her insane. Then she returned as a mercenary with a new employer and her own deeper agenda to whispers of those who couldn't believe she was still alive after the absence of a year.

She wasted little time in starting to track Zaledo and make plans. Her revenge was so near she could taste it she just had to be patient and bide her time performing the Shadow Lord's meaningless tasks. For instance, now he wanted her to join and spy on some Link Shell apparently with aspirations of stopping his intentions with stopping his plans for another war. It was call the Children of Altana and she was supposed to meet one of the leaders shortly. She'd join and it and pass along anything of value to keep the Shadow Lord satisfied for however long it took to meet her aims.

End 

_/clap_

_I finally finished it!_

_I wanted to post a link of a pic of Tsumi using the Dark Flames created by my good friend Darksamurai using the model viewer inspired by the descriptions in my story. He captures perfectly what I see in my head when writing:_

_Tsu using Dark Flames in Merc Heart_

_Tsu as she appears now using her Dark Powers 1_

_Another of Tsu as she is now_

_Tsu in Blue AF using her Dark Powers (This will make more snese later on P)_

_A few Screen Shots:_

_Early Tsu in a harness (this was when I as a noob)_

_Close-up of Tsu healing agiain early on._

_Here is a screenshot of Tsumi dressed as she would of appeared in this story._

_And here is Feliz who happens to be my NPC lol_

_A Note to Ffnet Readers:_

_Well I'll be posting the rest of Tsumi's story so you can see how things turned out for her. I gave you the website to one of my RP groups at the beginning of this sotry and on there I have written a few stories that will be spoilers for you before I get to connecting and including them here so read at your own risk!_

_A Note to my Fellow Rpers:_

_I hope you enjoyed this. As I fill in more of the blanks you will get to know Tsu much better as few IC do!_


End file.
